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Canadian rebate programs aim to reduce utility loads

Canada recently introduced the next phase of its economic action plan and federal budget, including a $400 million allocation for the ecoENERGY Retrofit Program to help make homes more energy efficient with the use of energy-efficient water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners and insulation products.

The program helps home owners lower the cost of utilities if they upgrade their inefficient equipment and gets them rebates for doing so. Rebates of up to $5,000 are available for homeowners who make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes. Energy audits are performed by Enwise Building Science to assess the air leakage of a house. The home then receives an EnerGuide rating--both pre and post--showing improvement in the overall efficiency of a house.

"The program will be undergoing some changes in the future which will make the energy audit more accurate as it will take in to account exact energy usage of all appliances, lights, etc., in the house," Ross Hill, Chief Operating Officer of Vertility Technology, said in an interview with FierceEnergy.

The program aims to reduce utility loads, especially at peak times, and provides partnership opportunities between the private sector and utilities. "If the private sector creates the achieved level of conservation, infrastructure costs reduce dramatically," said Hill. "It is far better to conserve than spend on new infrastructure."

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/canadian-rebate-programs-aim-reduce-utility-loads/2011-06-14